Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method
First Claim
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1. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:
- a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate to be exposed;
a projection system configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion on a side of the substrate to be exposed;
a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a region between the substrate and the projection system with a liquid; and
a liquid confinement structure fixed in a plane substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the projection system and configured to cooperate with the substrate table in order to restrict the liquid to a region above an upper surface of the substrate table so that a side of the substrate to be exposed is substantially covered in the liquid during exposure.
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Abstract
A lithographic apparatus is disclosed wherein a liquid supply system is configured to at least partly fill a region between a substrate and a projection system of the lithographic apparatus with a liquid and having a liquid confinement structure fixed in a plane substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the projection system and configured to cooperate with a substrate table configured to hold the substrate in order to restrict the liquid to a region above an upper surface of the substrate table so that a side of the substrate to be exposed is substantially covered in the liquid during exposure.
255 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:
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a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate to be exposed;
a projection system configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion on a side of the substrate to be exposed;
a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a region between the substrate and the projection system with a liquid; and
a liquid confinement structure fixed in a plane substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the projection system and configured to cooperate with the substrate table in order to restrict the liquid to a region above an upper surface of the substrate table so that a side of the substrate to be exposed is substantially covered in the liquid during exposure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:
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a projection system configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate;
a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a region between the substrate and the projection system with a liquid; and
a saturated gas supply system configured to provide substantially saturated gas to a surface of the substrate not covered by liquid. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:
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a substrate table configured to hold a substrate to be exposed;
a projection system configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion on a side of the substrate to be exposed;
a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a region between the substrate and the projection system with a liquid;
a first confinement structure fixed in a plane substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the projection system and configured to cooperate with the substrate table in order to restrict the liquid to a region above an upper surface of the substrate table; and
a second confinement structure fixed in a plane substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the projection system and configured to cooperate with the substrate table in order to restrict substantially saturated gas to a region above an upper surface of the substrate table, wherein the first and second confinement structures and the substrate table are arranged so that a side of the substrate to be exposed is entirely covered with substantially saturated gas except for an area covered with liquid during exposure. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:
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a substrate table configured to hold a substrate to be exposed;
a projection system configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate;
a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a region between the substrate and the projection system with a liquid;
a saturated gas supply system configured to provide substantially saturated gas to a surface of the substrate not covered by liquid;
a first confinement structure fixed in a plane substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the projection system and configured to contain the liquid; and
a second confinement structure fixed in a plane substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the projection system and configured to cooperate with the substrate table in order to restrict substantially saturated gas to a region above an upper surface of the substrate table, wherein the first and second confinement structures and the substrate table are arranged so that a side of the substrate to be exposed is entirely covered with substantially saturated gas except for an area covered with liquid during exposure. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A device manufacturing method, comprising:
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using a liquid confinement structure, that is fixed in a plane substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of a projection system of a lithographic apparatus and arranged to cooperate with a substrate table of the lithographic apparatus holding a substrate, to restrict a liquid to a region above an upper surface of the substrate table and to maintain a side of the substrate to be exposed entirely immersed in the liquid; and
projecting a patterned radiation beam through the liquid onto a target portion of the substrate using the projection system. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. A device manufacturing method, comprising:
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at least partly filling a region between a projection system of a lithographic apparatus and a substrate with a liquid;
providing a substantially saturated gas to a surface of the substrate not covered by liquid; and
projecting a patterned radiation beam through the liquid onto a target portion of the substrate using the projection system. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A device manufacturing method, comprising:
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restricting a liquid to a region above an upper surface of a substrate table of a lithographic apparatus holding a substrate using a first confinement structure that is fixed in a plane substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of a projection system of a lithographic apparatus and arranged to cooperate with the substrate table;
restricting substantially saturated gas to a region above an upper surface of the substrate table using a second confinement structure that is fixed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the optical axis and arranged to cooperate with the substrate table; and
projecting a patterned radiation beam through the liquid onto a target portion of the substrate using the projection system, wherein the first and second confinement structures and the substrate table are arranged so that a side of the substrate to be exposed is entirely covered with the substantially saturated gas except for an area covered in the liquid during exposure. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A device manufacturing method, comprising:
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restricting a liquid to a region between a projection system of a lithographic apparatus and a substrate held on a substrate table of the lithographic apparatus using a first confinement structure that is fixed in a plane substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the projection system;
supplying a substantially saturated gas to a surface of the substrate not covered by liquid;
restricting substantially saturated gas to a region above an upper surface of the substrate table using a second confinement structure that is fixed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the optical axis and arranged to cooperate with the substrate table; and
projecting a patterned radiation beam through the liquid onto a target portion of the substrate using the projection system, wherein the first and second confinement structures and the substrate table are arranged so that a side of the substrate to be exposed is entirely covered with the substantially saturated gas except for an area covered in the liquid during exposure. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42)
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Specification